


Solicitude

by StroopwafelDetective



Series: Newsies Tumblr Requests [5]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Era, Developing Friendships, Gen, Mentioned Jack Kelly, Mentioned Spot Conlon, Newspapers, Not Beta Read, POV Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, Writer's Block, Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:36:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StroopwafelDetective/pseuds/StroopwafelDetective
Summary: Katherine struggles to write her new article. Davey offers her his assistane.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━▷ A tumblr request ◁Prompt: Can you do a davey and katherine friendship? I love that dynamic
Relationships: David Jacobs & Katherine Plumber Pulitzer
Series: Newsies Tumblr Requests [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170872
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	Solicitude

Katherine had been the only reporter to address the Newsies strike- so naturally, she was the one assigned with the job to write about their victory. The director had demanded for her to emphasize on Pulitzer's loss. _"The downfall of The World." -_ as if the strikers hadn't been denouncing newspapers _other_ than just The World and The Journal.

The New York Tribune and The Sun subserviently had increased their prices as soon as they heard the _grand_ Pulitzer and Hearst were planning on doing so, without a second thought.

Katherine looked down at her notepad- as hopelessly empty as the sheet of paper sticking out of the typewriter. She slumped back in her desk chair with a sigh. She knew she could do this- she'd done it before. So why wasn't she writing? What was stopping her? 

She had expected it to be easier- especially after her breakthrough with her previous article. Despite her ambition, she remained to lack the confidence to get anything down. Maybe she just wasn't the reporter she had been striving to be.

She flinched when a knock on her door snapped her out of her train of thought. "I'm _working!_ " Katherine quickly exclaimed. "Let a girl write in peace, won't you?"

A creak- and she looked up to see Davey's head peeking out the narrow opening. "Inconvenient time?" he asked, looking a bit reluctant to enter. 

"Oh." Katherine gasped, pleasantly surprised. "David. Please, come in."

When he wrung himself inside, she noticed he was holding two cups. David closed the door behind him with a push of his elbow. "So, how is my favorite reporter in all of New York?" 

"Well, your favorite reporter is about to lose her mind- _and_ her job." Katherine sighed. "Sometimes I start to think they were right. I wrote _one_ good article. _One_. That doesn't prove anything." She buried her fingers at her auburn curls and let out a frustrated groan. "I'm sorry. I know you came here to check up on the article, and- it is _not_ going well."

"I came here to check in on _you,"_ David corrected her. "Not the article." With a gentle smile, he held up the two cups in his hands, swirls of steam rising from them. "I got you coffee- _and_ tea. I didn't know which one you preferred, so I got both. I've come prepared."

"You really didn't have to." Katherine said with astonishment. "Thank you."

"Well, that's what friends do." David beamed, putting down the hot beverages on the desk and seating himself on the chair in front of her. His face suddenly fell, a flash of uncertainty igniting in his eyes. " _Are_ we friends? I would like to consider us so, but you're a reporter, and-"

"-We're friends, David." Katherine interposed with an assuring smile. "Of course we are. There is no greater bonding moment than shutting down an entire city together."

David's grin edged deeply into his cheeks as he gave her a nod. "Ah, yes. There's nothing quite as enjoyable." his gaze then darted down at the typewriter- and then at Katherine's face again. "How about you show me what you have so far? Perhaps I can be of assistance."

"Truth be told- I got nothing so far." Katherine admitted. "It's like I'm too afraid to start."

"Hey, you can do this." David's eyes were genuine, bright. He truly believed in her. "It doesn't have to be perfect on the first try." he continued. "Jack told me when he paints he starts off with the background and the simple shapes- further expands on those later. It's a process. I assume writing might work the same way. Begin with the loose ideas."

"You're right. I'm too perfectionistic." Katherine's fingers hovered over the keys, her mouth pressed in a straight line. She had proved her worth as a writer with her latest article- now all she had to do was prove it to herself. She spoke as she began typing; _"Thousands of kids from all over New York, including boroughs such as Brooklyn and Queens, united as one to stand tall against the headquarters of The New York World. They assembled after the courageous union leaders Jack Kelly and David “Davey” Jacobs succeeded to distribute their own paper against Joseph Pulitzer's recognition."_

-"You were there too."

"A good reporter never reveals her sources." Katherine chuckled. "Alas, It would be inappropriate to write myself into my own article." She cleared her throat before continuing;

 _"This paper, 'The Newsies Banner' did not only include the invitation to all the working kids of New York to join the strike, but it additionally covered reports regarding the corrupt tactics of I.A Snyder’s Refuge-"_ she interrupted herself with another groan. "God, that just sounds like I'm trying too hard."

"You _are_ trying too hard." David blankly replied. "These aren't loose ideas, Kath. You're already in the process of writing the full article."

In silence, Katherine briefly examined the text so had so far. "I suppose I am." 

Davey seemed to observe her with a certain fondness. "It's good."

"Could be worse." Katherine shrugged, eyebrows raised and a complacent smile on her lips. _"Kelly and Jacobs, alongside Brooklyn's feared-"_ Katherine paused. "Should I describe Spot Conlon as small?"

-"Yes."

No hesitation there. 

_-"Brooklyn's Spot Conlon, who's feared- yet short in height, walked into Pulitzer's office unannounced to bring their demands. Inside they_ _were met with the presence of Governor Theodore Roosevelt who proclaimed his support in favor of the strike. Sources say-"_

Katherine and Davey shared a knowing look.

_-"Pulitzer was visibly intimidated by this- soon accepting the terms of the union leaders. With a fist in the air, Jack announced victory, much to the delight of the strike's supporters who had been anxiously waiting down on the Square."_

It wasn't perfect- and nowhere near ready. But it was a start. A rough draft, a sketch of ideas, like David had advised. 

Katherine reached for the cup of coffee her friend had brought- leaving the tea aside. "I like both, by the way." she said. "You left me with a tough decision to make, Jacobs." Her eyes closed contently after taking a sip. It was both bitter and sweet in taste, leaving her tongue pleasantly tingling. "But it appears I chose correctly. You can have the tea, if you'd like."

David was happy to accept, grabbing the other cup from the desk. "You know what? I'd like to propose a toast."

"A toast to me _presumably_ not getting fired?" Katherine teased.

"Not what I had in mind," Davey smiled at her, warm and proud. "But I guess that works too." 


End file.
